OK, I'll admit I've got a grudge agains the EPA. All Joiseyites do.

they have not only allowed, but they encouraged a coal-fired plant on Pennsy's Eastern border to spew forth pollutants across the river into New Jersey. And, to add insult to injury, they penalize New Jersey for the unclean air.

Going back to 2006/2007 : EPA tells NJ to intercourse itself

"New Jersey has sought to address the excess emissions from the Portland Generating Station through a variety of legal actions. In December 2006, the state filed a Notice of Intent to Sue the federal Environmental Protection Agency for violating the Clean Air Act by not responding to a petition from the state Department of Environmental Protection that objected to a proposed operating permit for the plant. When EPA had not acted on the petition by February of this year, the State filed suit contending that the agency was not doing its job, and that its failure to act on New Jersey’s objection was contributing to the state’s inability to attain its clean air goals. On June 20 of this year, the EPA issued a Final Order denying the New Jersey petition request. The state responded by filing an appeal of the EPA ruling in the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. That appeal is still pending, as is a petition for reconsideration of the original denial filed with EPA."

Now, here it is, years later, and they are still dragging this out.

EPA says we'll get to it when we get to it.

'The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Monday announced a six-month delay in responding to a Christie administration request to take prompt steps to reduce pollution coming from RRI Energy's coal-fired power plant on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River opposite Knowlton in Warren County.

The delay has led state Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin to urge the EPA to reconsider its decision.

"This is a longstanding air pollution issue affecting New Jersey residents that can be improved with strong federal action,'' Martin said. "In view of the serious public health violation, the federal Environmental Protection Agency should be moving expeditiously to reduce pollution coming from this plant. Anything less is unacceptable.''

DEP officials say prevailing winds carry pollution from RRI Energy Mid-Atlantic Power Holdings' Portland generating station in Upper Mount Bethel across the Delaware and directly into New Jersey. The emissions are known to cause a variety of adverse health effects, including an exacerbation of asthma and respiratory conditions, and environmental impacts such as acid rain.'

Interestingly enough, event he DEP says the effects are not good but does the EPA care? Nah!

WE Energies, here in Wisconsin, decided to build a coal fired power plant, against the wishes of almost every homeowner near the intended location. The homeowners sued, saying their home values would drop, and the plant was built, anyway. The EPA came along and fined WE Energies well over $1M because they didn't have enough scrubbers in place. WE Energies had sold their nuclear power plant near Sheboyganm for $985M, about a year before they announced their plans for this coal fired plant. Later that year, they asked for and got a rate increase from the PSC (Public Service Commission). They announced the coal fired plant and said the power was needed. They raised rates to finance the project.

Fast forward to a year ago, after they fired it up. They realized that the demand for power wasn't what they anticipated, so they asked for and got a rate increase. Part of this increase was to pay for the EPA fines. They have been telling people to use less energy for years. Late last year they asked for and got a rate increase because they said demand for energy was down. This year, they asked for and got another rate increase.

W T F? I feel for you.

The head of the EPA is appointed by the executive branch I believe. 06 you say?

JerryLove said:

The head of the EPA is appointed by the executive branch I believe. 06 you say?

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Both parties suck. You OK with that?

Wait till the EPA starts fining you for using that shiny new Chevy Volt car. Takes coal to generate that electric charging power, ya know...not to mention the huge pollution potential of all those used up batteries. Hmmm. Could it be that a coal derived electric car pollutes more than gas powered one?

Actually, gents. The EPA is going to regulate Cap and Trade right down your throats. Who needs a vote of the suddenly irrelevant congress to approve Cap and Trade (probably the biggest economic nightmare on the planet)?! The administration apparently holds congress with the same contempt that the rest of America does.

Ah, the EPA. By the way, check out the Chicago Climate Exchange. (Chicago, eh?! Why does that city sound familiar?) Al Gore has invested heavily. (The wise among you can now see the way that wind blows. ) It operates like Enron....remember them? This bunch of, uh, people...are all about "energy futures". What's an energy future? Well, what they will do...with a tiny nudge from the EPA, thanks to a tiny nudge from Cass Sunstein (the Regulatory Czar), and serially thanks to a slightly less tiny nudge from the imperial leader himself...will be to make industry "polluters" (that translates to ALL industries that use any kind of power, btw) pay a fee to those industries that don't (that would be those 'industries' that don't use energy, like Indonesian rice farmers). Energy (pollution) exchange. Get it? Some would call this redistribution of wealth. But what are a few inconsequential words among friends?! The CCX would just be energy brokers. And just like Enron, they won't do or make anything. They'll just be middlemen in an energy "exchange". Cool con, eh?!

What with everything you touch in your life...from the time you get up till the time you go to bed being regulated by the Federal Government, how dare I be so flippant since they obviously care so much about me? Everything, says me? Yep. Everything! From the flame retardant mattresses and pillows we get off of, to the coffee and its growing and distribution (did I mention tariffs and taxes?), to the car you drive to work (don't forget that EPA again, as well as the taxing of the gas to power it, the roads it drives on, its registration, etc.), to the clothes you wear (did I mention the taxes you pay for them?), to the work you do (did I mention the taxes you pay for the privelege of working), to the alcohol you put in your hot toddy to try to get to sleep at night back on the safe ol' mattress. And now, the air you breathe is being regulated. Think I'm kidding?! I wish I were. It already is. (Not that you NEED it after being so well insulated from coal fumes and a billion other nasty things trying to take your health). You are being excellently taken care of by your imperial government. Yes you are.

Does anyone else feel like we have less control over this imperial governmental structure than we did with King George III?

Hey, Mark. Now you know why I haven't posted much lately. I've been busy genuflecting.

highfigh said:

Both parties suck. You OK with that?

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I'm OK with that. I like pizza made in coal fired ovens.

The United States needs to get off the pot and make a serious commitment to nuclear power.

All we need to do is look at countries like France for examples. They already have facilities to recycle spent fuel and store waste products. The USA has never taken the steps needed to handle nuclear waste. The Yucca Mountain facility has become a bust.

Like many government programs, they start with the best of intentions and then turn into a place to hide no-show jobs and places for political donors and appointees to collect great retirement benefits.
Then, when the job isn't getting done, they will simply need more funding; and the cycle continues.

We did tons of electrical work for a now defunct industrial plant.
A (edit: government agency) had been permanently on site for many years doing ground water remediation.
Subsequently the plant was fined millions of dollars and had to pay for the clean up.

While there, I found out a few interesting things about the other side of the story.
It turns out, the government agency monitored and controlled a waste water pipe that ran into a river from the plant, and they were responsible for bungling the job, and for the pollution. Though only the company was fined and blamed, and is still paying for dozens of agency employees to be on site.

majorloser said:

The United States needs to get off the pot and make a serious commitment to nuclear power.

All we need to do is look at countries like France for examples. They already have facilities to recycle spent fuel and store waste products. The USA has never taken the steps needed to handle nuclear waste. The Yucca Mountain facility has become a bust.

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Agreed,

Europe is leaps and bounds ahead of the US with Nuclear. There is such a stigma here in the states, a "not in our neighborhood" approach. Basically, there is too much politics involved in the energy industry, too many politicians have their hands in with oil companies and the like, and would lose support if they were to go against them and push for nuclear. For once, the french have done something right.

highfigh said:

Both parties suck. You OK with that?

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Not even a little bit OK with that... but I agree it's true